They both guessed Lily was going to accept, but it was fun to taunt James and watch him get antsy.

“I thought you were starting to warm up to me!” said James.

“I just need to think about it,” she replied.

James stared at her, holding his breath. Sirus, Remus and Peter all started sniggering. Watching James on pins and needles was highly amusing. Lily wondered if she should keep him waiting all day. However, she decided to give him an answer.

“Well. . . OK!”

“You will? Really?” he said, ecstatic.

“Nope,” she said.

“What?” James spluttered. “You just said—”

“I’m just teasing,” Lily laughed.

The Marauders were still sniggering at James later. James didn’t even think even Snape could dampen his elation.

“See?” James said to his friends as they headed to their free period. “I knew she’d say yes.”

“Only took seven years, but hey that’s not too bad!” teased Sirius.

“Not bad at all!” said Remus.

“Oh, shut up,” James retorted.

A few days later, Lily went out to meet with James. As she was heading for the doors, she passed by Sirius, Remus and Peter, all of whom waved to her. James was waiting for her, and in a complete reversal of what he normally did: He was actually trying to straighten his hair! Pretending she didn’t know who he was, she walked by him.

“Hey!” James called after her. “Hey, Lily! OI, EVANS!”

“Ok, you are James Potter after all,” said Lily.

“What’s that mean?!” asked James.

“You were straightening your hair!” said Lily. “When have you ever done that?”

“Since I’m going out with the most the prettiest, smartest and best girl in all Hogwarts!” James replied.

“You’re such a flatterer!” Lily laughed. James held the door open for Lily.

“Why thank you, Sir James,” she giggled, and the two left for Hogsmeade together, watched jealously by Snape.

James laughed. “You and your sister really don’t get along at all, do you?”

“We did until I learned I was a witch and was accepted into Hogwarts,” Lily said. “She actually wrote to Dumbledore and asked to go too.”

“She wrote to Dumbledore?” James said, clearly surprised.

“Yeah,” said Lily. “Snape actually found the letter and told me. I saw Dumbledore’s response.”

“What did he say?” James asked.

“He was very kind, he explained why she can’t go and apologized for her disappointment. Petunia flipped and told me I was a freak when I tried to comfort her,” Lily said sadly.

James shook his head. “Choose your friends, can’t choose your family,” he said. “You and Sirius can commiserate about bad siblings, it seems. I sometimes wish I had another sibling, despite the fact that it seems my friends don’t get along with their siblings. Though Sirius has definitely become an unofficial sibling.”

“Is your house still standing with the two around?” Lily teased.

“Oh come on, I resemble that remark!” James quipped back.

“I know you do,” Lily replied.

“No, seriously, you have much I represent that remark!”

“I think I do!”

After some laughing and joking, the topic then turned to the new Quidditch team. Lily knew if there was James was serious about, it was Quidditch. Gryffindor had won the Quidditch cup for the past three years.

“Our prospects definitely look good this year, we’re looking good with the new team,” James told her.

“That’s good, we have a reputation to uphold,” Lily agreed.

The two of them spent the rest of the day together and returned to Hogwarts later in the day. On the way back Lily saw Snape, who was looking extremely resentful and jealous.

“Have you been watching me all this time?!” she demanded.

“So is this really why you abandoned me, to hang out with Potter and his gang?” he snarled.

“I didn’t abandon you!” Lily snapped. “I gave you plenty of chances, you want to be a death eater, and I don’t want anything to do with them!”

“You’d know nothing about magic if it wasn’t for me!” snarled Snape, closing his hand around Lily’s wrist,

“Let go of me!” she hissed. Snape leapt back from Lily and released her. Lily glanced behind her. James had drawn out his wand, and so had his friends.

“Don’t touch her!” said James, in a deadly voice, glaring at Snape. “Try to intimidate her again, you’ll regret it!”

“Is that a threat?” asked Snape, smirking.

“No, that’s a promise!” said James. “We’re not afraid of you or your little death eater friends, Sni--Snape!”

“Snape!” barked a sharp voice. Professor McGonagall had just entered.

“How dare you manhandle Miss Evans! Twenty points from Slytherin and a week’s detention!” she said sharply.

“You can’t do that!” Snape spat. “And Potter hexed me!”

“He only used the necessary force!” said McGonagall, “And do not tell me what I can or cannot do, another twenty points from Slytherin, now be on your way!”

Snape strode off back to the Slytherin dungeon, James turned to Lily.

“Are you OK?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Lily, who was a bit shaken. “Remind me again why I was ever friends with that guy?”

“Because you are a kind person who sees the best in everyone,” said Lupin.